Sharp opinions about mines and mining from Jack Caldwell

Smelly Anti-Coal-Mining Protests

When I first came to Canada, I was told by proud Canadians that the country is unique: “Everybody is polite; no protests; and no class action law suites. Not like across the border.”

Yet this week I have been contacted by Canadian lawyers seeking a technical specialist to help them start a class action law case against some miners who shut their mine. The student protests in Quebec continue unabated–over tuition of all things. And here in Vancouver, one of my colleagues was caught up in a shit-throwing protest over a proposed coal mine. Here is the report on what happened:

Protesters of a mining conference in downtown Vancouver were throwing more than just rocks. The Four Seasons hotel on West Georgia was evacuated Thursday afternoon and Vancouver Police’s hazmat unit was called in after six protesters pulled the fire alarm and threw a bag containing what was later determined to be feces mixed with liquid into the meeting room. Protesters immediately left and VPD said they have no suspects in custody. The luncheon affected was hosted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, which was discussing the Raven Underground Coal Project in Port Alberni and the Comox Valley. It was headlined by John Tapics, the president and CEO of Compliance Coal Cooperation, which is leading the project. VPD spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness said the smelly stunt posed no risk to public safety and there have been no arrests. The investigation continues.
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/Liquid+feces+tossed+protesters+evacuates+Vancouver+Four+Seasons+hotel/6674469/story.html#ixzz1vuoY5OFM

Have times changed that much in Canada?

Now I support reasoned debate about mining. I am guilty of as much. But to disrupt meetings in this way, is, well simply disgusting. No protestor makes a point thus. As no student gets sympathy not studying and demanding not to pay for it. As for the lawyers, I suppose they represent shareholders who have lost money investing in mining, and now they want their money back. Just as I would love to have the money back I have lost on the stock exchange. Maybe we share-losers should go throwing things in protest.

Maybe kids are so spoilt these days that they do not want to study, they do not want to learn, and certainly they do not want to engage in intelligent debate. What do you think?

There have been plenty of public consultations, open houses and information provided on this project. The core issues are the usual environmentalist propaganda related to blowing whatever they can think of out of proportion. I’ve read letters to the editor in various VI publications and they always say that ARD is going to wipe out marine life, the noise is going to make the deer deaf, the dust is going to give all the kids black lung. The populace is content in their ignorance and want to say no to an industry that has supported their stardard of living since the 1800s.
As for the lessons to be learned, there is a strong need to combat this ignorance at every turn. The mining associations of this province need to launch an all-out media education campaign to combat the environmental ngo lies, and half truths. That and challenge these ngos in court when they make defamatory and untrue statements.

there is no public engagement process. Compliance Energy ignored pages of discrepancies to be addressed in finalAIR/EIS. BC Shellfish Growers Association and the K’omoks Nation not only oppose Raven based on significant environmental risks, but charge their needs for an environmentally and socially sustainable project are met. The governments policy is to permit a self regulating coal mine industry while going through the motion of following a legitimate environmental review process. Participatory democracy has been suspended as hundreds of domestic wells will be at risk, thousands of residents live within the “zone of methane and Co2 emissions, and the Baynes Sound heavy metal levels that are already high will be higher with the inevitable leaching of toxic slurry reservoirs.

I read where unemployment among young people in Spain is 50%. Imagine the frustration this creates among a group who see their opportunity slipping away to indulge in the things our generation indulged in? Insecurity is as high as I can ever recall in my lifetime. I suspect there is a lot of frustration in youth everywhere nowadays.

We need to ensure these young idealists understand what creates value and ultimately supports our Canadian lifestyle. Without the jobs provided by mining and other natural resource industries we could easily be just another Spain or Greece. The line dividing us from those examples is very very thin, as is evidenced by the shit throwers.

I think these events are symptoms of generational culture shifts. It’s no secret or breaking news that emerging generations have a ridiculous sense of entitlement and demand reward for simply showing up. Furthermore, social networking has transformed the groundswell and ‘group-think’ of young people looking to align and identify themselves with . . . anything.

Mining is an easy target for generations of young people who have no idea where things come from. I am always greeted with shock and surprise by the students I speak to about mining at my old high school career day. Comments about the greedy exploitation of the environment coming from the young lady with a laptop and smartphone that was driven to school in large SUV. Then the discussion of the impact mining and resource industries have on the Canadian and regional economies. These hurdles to cross before we even reach the subject of employment opportunity and career/earning potential in Canada and abroad in the mining industry.

So, yes, things are changing in Canada but, I believe it is a generational culture shift/change stemming from entitlement, impact of social networks and plain ignorance.